Why UK visitor visas get refused — and what to fix first

Applicants tend to worry about the wrong things. In our experience the refusals that come back under paragraph 4.2 of Appendix V almost always trace to one of three problems.

1. The bank statement tells a different story to the form

A balance that appeared three weeks before the application, in one lump, reads as borrowed funds. Entry Clearance Officers are explicit about this. Six months of ordinary salary credits beats a large recent deposit every time, even if the recent deposit is larger.

2. The itinerary is not costed

"Two weeks in London" is not an itinerary. Where you will sleep each night, what it costs, and how that cost relates to the money in the account — that is an itinerary. If the trip costs more than the applicant plausibly earns, the application needs a sponsor letter and the sponsor's own evidence.

3. Nothing shows a reason to come home

Ties to Nigeria are not a formality. A property title, a business registration, a school enrolment for your children, an employer's approved-leave letter with a return date — these are what "I will return" looks like on paper.

What we do about it

We check the bundle against the refusal grounds before it goes in, not after. If something in it would refuse the application, we would rather say so and delay by two weeks than watch the fee disappear.

Talk to our visa desk if you want your documents looked at before you apply.